Trolley.



No. 687,452. Patented Nov. 26, |'9o|. a. E. CHAPMAN & a. L. ENSIGN.

T B 0 L L EY (Application filed Feb. 20, 1901.

3 Sheets$heat I.

(No Model.)

A7TOHNEYS WITNESSES: I a

No. 687,452. I Patented Nov. 26,190I. G. E. CHAPMAN & G. L. ENSIGN. TBOLLEY.

(Application filed Feb. 20. 1901. (No Model.) 3 Sheets-Sheet 2.

ATTORNEYS.

rue norms PETERS co. wovoujmau w5summ og4, n. c.

Patented Nov/26, l90l.

(Applicatioz': filed Feb. 20, 1901.

6 Sheets-Sheet 3.

(No Model.)

'INVE'NTOH WITNESSES 1 g 6 v a a v Br ATTORNEY HE "cums PETERS 00.. r-uofoumu. msumcrom D cv UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

GEORGE E. CHAPMAN AND GEORGE L. ENSIGN, OF CLEVELAND, OHIO.

TROLLEY.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 687,452, dated November 26, 1901. Application filed February 20, 1901. Serial Hold-088. (No model.)

T0 or whom, it may concern:

Be it known that we, GEORGE E. CHAPMAN and GEORGE L. ENSIGN, citizens of the United States, residing at Cleveland, in the county of Cuyahoga and State of Ohio, have invented certain new and usefullmprovements in Trolleys; and we do declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the letters of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

This invention relates to an improvement in trolleys, and has for its primary object the provision of an improved lubricated bearing for the trolley-wheel, whereby oil is continually fed from the oilchambers to working parts of the bearings, while at the same time the bearings will be absolutely dust-proof.

A further object contemplates the employment of a swinging head, whereby the trolleywheel will be permitted a lateral movement to follow the line-wire in turning curves and the like.

In the accompanying drawings an embodi-. ment of the invention is shown for. the purpose of illustration, and in hereinafter referring to the same like letters of reference will refer to corresponding parts throughout the several views.

Figure 1 is a side elevation of a section of trolley-pole provided with the improvements complete. Fig. 2 is an edge view of the same. Fig. 3 is a sectional view taken longitudinally of the axle of the trolley-wheel, and Figs. 45 and 5 are detailed views illustrating a second embodiment of our lubricating devices.

Referring more specifically to the drawings, A designates a trolley-pole of the usual or preferred construction provided at its upper end with a bifurcated or forked portion B, to which the trolley-wheel and its harp or hanger are secured. Near the upper ends of the arms of this fork B are suitable apertures through which passes a pivot-bolt C, and pivoted centrally thereof is the shank portion (1 of a harp or hanger D. Also sleeved upon the pivotbolt to the respective sides of the shank d and rigidly secured to said shank through the medium of the screw-threaded ears 0 are bearing-cups 0, designed, in connection with corresponding oppositely-disposed cups O to form raceways G therebetween for the reception of balls 0 The outer cups C are provided with laterally-extended ears 0 adapted to run parallel with the arms of the fork B and be fixedly secured thereto by bolts 0 It will thus be seen that an efficient ball-bearing is provided the harp or hanger, so that it will have a tendency to respond very quickly to any lateral Variations or curves in the lin ewire and permit the wheel to follow the same. That the harp or hanger and the Wheel E may be normally retained in alinement with the pole A, the shank d is extended downwardly fora considerable distance below its pivotpoint, as at d, and this extension is normally retained in the fork B by elongated springs (:1 secured to the fork at d in any suitable manner. hanger to forcibly vibrate from side to side, yet they will normally tend to preserve the alinement of the same with the trolley-pole.

The trolley-wheel E is supported upon an axle e, the respective ends of which are in turn rotatably mounted in the bearing-boxes F F to be now described. As the bearingboxes are alike, the description of one will suffice for both. Two semicircular members G G, bolted together at g, constitute casings in which the ball-bearings g freely revolve, said bearings contacting with a ring g" on the interior of the casing and the annular disks 9 secured to the axle through the medium of a key 9 shouldered, as atg to prevent the inward movement of the disk or the outward movement of the axle. The casing is made dust-proof on its inner surface by means of the annular flexible washer H, held in position by a metallic plate H, secured to the casing by screws h of any desirable number. The plate H has a projecting lug or flange h, which is adapted to be secured to the arms of the harp D, as at W. This manner of fastening will prevent the casing from any rotary movement whatever, while the ball-bearings, axle, and its associated parts will be free to rotate therein in an obvious manner. The disk g occupies a plane somewhat inward from the plane of the outer edges of the two members of the casing, so that a chamber or space h is left therein, thus serving for the While these springs permit the harp or 1 reception of oil or other lubricant.

of the slots i and binding-screws i so that varying thicknesses of glass plates may be accommodated and their proper adjustment eifected.

Should it be found expedient to dispense with the ball-bearings for the trolley-wheel axle, the lubricating devices illustrated in the second embodiment of our invention, Figs. 4 and 5, may be employed. In these figures the bearing-boxes are the same as those above I described, but the axles are supported inplain bearings J, in which they are free to rotate, the trolley-wheel in this instance bein g fixedly secured to the axle. To either side of the bearing J are guidesj for the reception of annular rings j, adapted normally to project downwardly into the oil in the bottom of the chamber and be rotated with the axle by frictional contact therewith. In this manner oil Will be carried by the rings over the upper surface of the axle and its bearings snlficiently lubricated thereby. In lieu of the continuous ring, as shown, spiral rings may be provided where it is deemed necessary that a greater amount of oil or lubricant adhere to the ring and be carried around thereby. In both instances above oil is supplied to the lubricant through suitable cupped openings m in the casings.

It is of course to be understood that while certain special arrangements and combinations of parts are illustrated and described it is not intended that the invention be necessarily restricted thereto, as many altera tions in the details and operations thereof may be made without departing from the spirit of the invention.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new, and desired to be secured by Letters Patent, is

1. In combination with a trolley-pole provided with a forked upper end, of a pivot-bolt connecting the arms of the fork, a harp pivoted on said bolt, a trolley-wheel in the harp, bearing-cups secured to the sides of the harp, correspondingly oppositely disposed cups secured to the arms of the fork and adapted in conjunction with the first-mentioned cups to form raceways therebetween, and balls in said raceways, substantially as described.

2. In combination with a trolley-pole having a forked upper end, of a pivot-bolt spanning the fork, a trolley-Wheel, a harp for supporting the trolley-wheel, a 'shank on the harp mounted upon the pivot-bolt and extending below the same, antifriction-bearings between the respective sides of said shank and the arms of the fork, and springs engaging the sides of the extended portion of the shank to normally retain the same in alinement with the pole, substantially as described.

3. In combination with a trolley-pole,a harp secured to its upper end, a trolley-wheel, an

axle for said wheel, bearing-boxes at the respective ends of said axle, dust-proof closures for the respective surfaces of said boxes comprising flexible interposed washers, and exterior plates secured thereto, and means on one of the plates forconnecting the boxes with the arms of the harp, substantially as described.

4:. In combination with a trolley-pole, 'of a harp secured to the upper end thereof, a trolley-wheel, an axle therefor, bearing-boxes at the respective ends of the axle supported upon the harp and comprising semicircular members detacbably secured together, dustproof caps at the respective sides thereof, the one comprising flexible washers and metallic plates secured to the boxes and means on said plates to prevent the rotation of the boxes, and the other comprising flexible washers, a transparent plate exterior thereof, and adjustable clips engaging the boxes for confining the transparent plates in position, substantially as described.

5. In combination with a trolley-pole of a harp at the upper end thereof, a trolley-wheel, an axle therefor, bearing-boxes supported in the harp at the respective ends of the axle a transparent cover for said bearing-box, and adjustable clips for confining said cover in position, substantially as described.

6. In combination with a trolley-pole of a harp secured to the upper end thereof, a trolleywhee1, an axle therefor, bearing-boxes at the respective ends of the axle carried by the harp comprising two semicircular members detachably secured together, cap-plates for said members, antifriction-bearings between the axle and the interior surface of the said members, plates on the axle adapted to receive the end thrust of said bearings, oilspaces between the exterior cap-plates and the thrust-bearing plates, and means by which oil may be supplied to said spaces, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof We affix our signatures in presence of two witnesses.

GEORGE E. CHAPMAN. GEORGE L. ENSIGN.

WVitnesses:

LOTTIE NEWBURN, LAURENCE S. MoNFoR'r.

IIO 

